Scelidosaurus
''Scelidosaurus ''is a herbivorous thyreophoran dinosaur native to the Central Sector East, or Centralia East. It is a huntable animal on the Anniversary Tour. Biology The Scelidosaurus of the dinosaur planet is believed to be a medium-sized ancestor of Stegosaurus, sharing a niche with Ankylosaurus as a armored herbivore would a diet of ground dwelling ferns and shrubs. In Centralia East ankylosaurs are quite a rarity, with their general niche being occupied by the bulky Scelidosaurus ''instead. Despite its relatively-common status, ''Scelidosaurus was not encountered on the initial scouting expedition of FMM UV-32, though this dinosaur would later be discovered prior to the opening of The Anniversary Tour. This is likely due to the dinosaur's nocturnal feeding habits, as this creature has been observed to rest during much of the day and coming out at dusk or night to feed in order to avoid competition with larger herbivores such as Stegosaurus ''and ''Triceratops - ''which are known to be more diurnal in their feeding behavior. , a lone ''Scelidosaurus emerges from hiding in the gulf's sheltered mountain ranges to begin its nightly search for food.]] Scelidosaurus sports bony osteoderms across much of its body in place of the dorsal plates and thagomizer of its relative, Stegosaurus. This includes some prominent keel-shaped osteoderms protruding from its tail and smaller, pebbly ones across its flanks and back that provide the dinosaur with a sturdy defense against smaller carnivores. Although this armor is very lightweight, the dinosaur itself strangely moves somewhat slowly. This clearly displays its primitive nature in contrast to its descendants, which have light armor yet can move relatively-fast. It is likely the only reason Scelidosaurus has become so common in the face of such competition is due to the incredible amounts of eggs it can produce. Female scelidosaurs have a relatively-quick gestation period lasting about three months, and can lay over 200 golfball-sized eggs in a single nest. Although they are typically peaceful herbivores, scelidosaurs are easily disturbed and tend to flee at the first sign of approaching danger. When cornered, however, these creatures will not hesitate to stand their ground and fight, often trampling small carnivores, and on occasionally, unfortunate human hunters underfoot in a desperate attempt to escape predation. Such tactics are useful against smaller predators, but are ineffective against larger carnivores. The Scelidosaurus' current conservation status remains unknown, though some researchers and DinoHunt Corp. game wardens like to believe that the dinosaur is of a vulnerable status, and that populations are likely to go into decline if poaching of these armored reptiles persists. Fortunately however, the Scelidosaurus is not a particularly sought-after herbivore on the Anniversary Tour by licensed clients and poachers alike, who prefer to target the more popularly-hunted Triceratops and Stegosaurus instead. Even so, game wardens and field biologists in Centralia East are always monitoring their population numbers just in case this changes in the near future. Official Appearances *''Carnivores+ (DLC replacement for ''Triceratops) Scelidosaurus is based.]] Notes * The Scelidosaurus' design is based off of Neave Parker's classic rendition of said dinosaur. See Also Gallery:Scelidosaurus Category:Carnivores+ Category:Animals Category:Dinosaurs Category:Central Sector